Definition of RIDICULE

Choose the Right Synonym for ridicule

Verb

ridicule, deride, mock, taunt mean to make an object of laughter of. ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling. consistently ridiculed everything she said deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule. derided their efforts to start their own business mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference. youngsters began to mock the helpless wino taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge. hometown fans taunted the visiting team

Examples of ridicule in a Sentence

Noun She didn't show anyone her artwork for fear of ridicule. the early efforts by the suffragists to obtain voting rights for women were met with ridicule Verb The other kids ridiculed him for the way he dressed. They ridiculed all of her suggestions.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Among peers from Minneapolis’ Patrick Henry High School, Kueng was known to speak up when someone took a joke too far or when students wouldn’t stop maligning a particular teacher who was the frequent target of private ridicule. — Chao Xiong, Star Tribune, "Former officer's failure to stop the deadly restraint of George Floyd leaves friends perplexed," 12 Sep. 2020 Nothing short of instant kickoff — no gestures, no protests, and a national anthem fully honored — will satisfy the White House, so expect a barrage of ridicule from there. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Chiefs-Texans opener foreshadows a fractured NFL season ahead," 11 Sep. 2020 The controversy has even made waves on social media across Asia; many in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China responded with disbelief, sympathy for Patton, and a fair bit of ridicule. — Jessie Yeung, CNN, "USC professor under fire after using Chinese expression students allege sounds like English slur," 10 Sep. 2020 Though those people and many others, including Maguire, have achieved career success, stuttering can contribute to social anxiety and draw ridicule or discrimination by others. — Amber Dance Knowable Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, "What Neuroscientists Are Discovering About Stuttering," 4 Sep. 2020 The comment drew instant ridicule and bewilderment on social media. — Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, "Sen. Martha McSally remark about fasting donors draws laughs from the left," 22 Aug. 2020 The residents have been subject to ridicule and mean-spirited attacks in the press, namely from the New York Post, which has turned the hotels into an ongoing series. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "A Pandemic Winter Could Blow Up the Housing Crisis," 31 Aug. 2020 When a catering association in Liaoning province in northeastern China announced a rule that people should eat N-2 dishes, or two dishes less than the number of people dining, it was met with ridicule online. — Ben Westcott, CNN, "In authoritarian China, eating freely is a cherished activity. Now a food waste campaign wants to control meals, too," 28 Aug. 2020 Your friend is pathetic, and needs sympathy more than ridicule. — Judith Martin, Washington Post, "Miss Manners: Friend ‘reinvents’ herself with tall tales," 24 Aug. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb At nearly every council meeting, both McKinney residents and people from other cities line up either to ridicule Shemwell or to praise him. — Dallas News, "Vote on whether to recall McKinney City Council member La’Shadion Shemwell now on November ballot," 12 Aug. 2020 The rebukes continued well into the night as TV comics, frequent Trump critics, rushed to ridicule the president, likening his behavior to that of a totalitarian leader. — Allyson Chiu, Washington Post, "‘Basically the move of a dictator’: Late-night hosts decry Trump’s suggestion to delay election," 31 July 2020 Neff posted to the thread, which racked up dozens of comments as users ridicule the woman, as recently as June 28. — Oliver Darcy, CNN, "Tucker Carlson's top writer resigns after secretly posting racist and sexist remarks in online forum," 10 July 2020 His magazine sets out to ridicule the public obsession with celebrity, but again, this might be mere virtue signaling on Dave’s part in his own search for celebrity. — Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, "Indulging with Control in Fiction," 24 June 2020 Using protests as an explanation for business shortcomings is an especially sensitive issue, as companies — including FedEx — have reacted to employees who appear to make light of or ridicule the demonstrations. — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, "FedEx: Despite website wording, protests not to blame for delivery delays in Michigan," 11 June 2020 The bureaucratic politics are plentiful, including sniping and sharp elbows from the other armed services (except for the Coast Guard, which the others repeatedly ridicule). — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Space Force' casts Steve Carell in a broad satire that never achieves liftoff," 29 May 2020 The comments come as Trump continues to treat face masks as something to mock, refusing to wear one in public and joining his staff and family in ridiculing his Democratic rival Joe Biden for doing otherwise. — Michael Scherer, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump’s mockery of wearing masks divides Republicans," 27 May 2020 Shriver takes a familiar tack often used on Fox News: trivializing valid concerns by ridiculing their most absurd manifestations. — Ariel Levy, The New Yorker, "Lionel Shriver Is Looking for Trouble," 25 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ridicule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.